We Receive ₦1.5M After 35 Years Of Service – Retired Police Officers Lament

• Retired Police Protest Meagre Pensions in Ibadan

Retired police officers staged a protest at the Oyo State Police Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, on Thursday over what they described as meagre retirement benefits. The former officers, many of whom served for decades, demanded their immediate removal from the Contributory Pension Scheme managed by the National Pension Commission.

They argued that the current arrangement leaves them struggling to survive after years of risking their lives in service to the nation. NaijaChoice News reports that the demonstration reflects growing frustration among police retirees across the country.

Retired Superintendent of Police Joseph Alabi told protesters that many colleagues face severe financial hardship. “For over two years now, we have been on this issue. Retired Nigerian police officers are facing difficulties,” he said.

Alabi, who receives about N70,000 monthly as a retired SP, questioned why the police remain under the scheme while the military, Air Force and Navy have been exempted. He urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign the bill already passed by the National Assembly for a separate police pension board.

Another protester, retired Deputy Superintendent of Police Omotayo Salaudeen, who put in 35 years of service, said the lump sum paid to many retirees is simply too small. “How can someone serve for 35 years and receive about N1.5m or N2m? It is difficult to manage under such conditions,” he said.

Salaudeen appealed for public support, noting that several retirees can no longer meet basic family needs. The situation, he added, has become a daily battle for dignity.

A retired electrical engineer, Babatunde Oluwatoye, who joined the protest in solidarity, described the welfare gap as worrying. He linked poor retirement conditions to national security, saying low morale among serving officers could affect their performance on the job.

The Ibadan protest forms part of similar actions that have taken place in Abuja and other states in recent weeks. Retirees say they will continue pressing their demands through peaceful and lawful channels.

The National Assembly passed the bill to establish a dedicated Police Pension Board late last year, but it still awaits presidential assent. Until that happens, the retirees insist their long years of service deserve far better recognition.